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ANTHRAX’s Triple Axe Attack In Italy: Video Available

ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian, who is sitting out nearly a dozen shows on the band’s current tour in order to spend time with his family following the birth of his first child (his temporary replacement is SEPULTURA‘s Andreas Kisser), rejoined the group exclusively for last night’s “Big Four” concert at Arena Fiera Rho in Milan, Italy, claiming halfway through ANTHRAX‘s set that he loves Italy too much to miss out on the opportunity to play the country again.

Kisser made his live debut with ANTHRAX on Saturday, July 2 at Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Germany as part of a “Big Four” show with METALLICA, SLAYER and MEGADETH.

The first shows that Scott will play with ANTHRAX after his “paternity leave” will be the July 23 Heavy T.O. festival in Toronto, Ontario and July 24 Heavy MTL festival in Montreal, Quebec (both in Canada).

Ian and Pearl Aday, welcomed a son on June 19 at 10:19 a.m. Revel Young Ian, who came into the world three weeks early, weighed in at six pounds, nine ounces.

Ian previously stated that the choice to sit out the upcoming ANTHRAX shows “was a deeply personal one” but added that “becoming a father is the biggest, best thing that’s ever happened to me and it made the decision relatively easy. My priority is with my wife and the birth of our first child.”

Regarding how Kisser came to fill the temporary guitarist slot, Ian said, “We chose Andreas because we feel he can do the gig better than anyone. He has the fire, the attitude, and the crushing right hand to do the gig. I’ve played with Andreas at the Roadrunner 25th-anniversary show, and I’ve gotten up and played with SEPULTURA and we are kindred spirits. We both play every show like we’re going to jail the next day, like it’s the last show we’ll ever play. He has what it takes and he has the experience and history to fucking bring it and make these ANTHRAX shows something special. I can’t wait to see and hear it for myself!!”

“Worship Music”, the long-awaited new album from ANTHRAX, is due in the U.S. on September 13 via Megaforce Records (one day earlier in Europe through Nuclear Blast Records). The band’s first studio release in eight years marks the return of vocalist Joey Belladonna, whose last studio work with the group was 1990’s “Persistence Of Time”.